Use of pH/whiff test or QuickVue Advanced (R) pH and Amines test for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis and prevention of postabortion pelvic inflammatory disease

Background. Untreated bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a risk factor for postabortion pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Methods. Eight hundred and eight women who requested therapeutic abortion were consecutively examined for the presence of BV, using either pH/whiff test or QuickVue Advanced(R) pH and Amines test. All patients who tested positive to BV were treated with clindamycin or metronidazole prior to abortion. Results. Based on the wet smear examination, the incidence of BV was 21.6%. Positive pH and whiff test had a sensitivity of 53%, specificity of 98% and Kappa index 0.59 (n =239). Values for QuickVue Advanced(R) pH and Amines test were 53%, 97%, and 0.58 respectively (n =508). The incidence of PID among all patients was 2.4% after pharmacological abortion and 4.9% after surgical abortion. Among the patients with microscopic presence of BV diagnosed positive by the pH/whiff test or QuickVue Advanced(R) pH and Amines test and treated with antibiotics, no PID occurred. Patients with negative pH/whiff test or QuickVue pH and amines test who consequently did not receive preoperative antibiotics, but who later demonstrated microscopic presence of BV, had an incidence of 14.3% (5/ 35) postoperative PID compared to women with normal lactobacilli flora 4.3% (10/234) (OR 3.73; 95% Cl 1.21-9.21). Conclusions. Although the pH/whiff test and QuickVue pH and Amines test failed to ascertain BV in almost half of the participants later found to have BV, we found that preabortal screening and subsequent treatment of those who test clinically positive does lower the incidence of postabortion PID.